Struts?

Actually, when I test, I don't just push down once and let bounce up, but I get the car bouncing up and down and then let go to see if the car bounces once and then settles. That just tests large bounces, not for small ones, and doesn't test behavior over multiple bounces. That old trick is only to detect when a strut has catastrophically failed. It doesn't detect when the strut is no longer reducing small vibrations as well, so there's faster wear and greater noise transferred to the body. If you were to see a slow-mo video of your tires as you drive along that supposedly flat highway, you'll see them vibrating (small bounces). If you were to drive a car with pipes instead of struts, you'd realize how unflat is that flat road. Shocks don't just handle the big bounces. They handle the little bounces as well which affects steering, handling, and the road noise you hear along with the amount you're vibrating all the other parts in the car.

You were told. Well, why did they think the struts were bad? I can tell you that you need to replace the evaporator without even looking at your car, but that doesn't mean I'm correct. There would be a symptom they notice that indicates strut replacement: alignment problem, sagging, shimmy on repeated small bumps affecting steering, tire shaking, tire cupping, bottoming out on rough roads or at the end of a driveway, a bouncy ride, body sway or rocking when cornering or getting hit laterally with high winds, nose dive when braking or rocking or rolling when changing lanes, clunking noise when the strut is exercised at angles or knocking noise when the car goes over bumps that sounds to the driver like something is loose, ride height is wrong (too low) and means the strut is falling apart internally, a fluid leak due to a nicked piston rod or old/damaged seal, your car drifts to one side when braking at high speeds. Just ask them to explain their diagnosis and have them show what is wrong. If they're just going by the residue of a leak, struts will leak some. A residual amount on the piston is normal since no seal is perfect, but it there is a trail of residue down along the strut body then the strut is bad.

Maybe their just going by age, but that assumes no external damage to the struts, or excessive wear, but based on average mileage. If you don't put many miles on your car per year, struts will last longer. If you drive on nice even roads instead of bouncing around on dirt roads or due to offroading, the struts will last longer. It'll be pricey. Struts are replaced in pairs (i.e., both on the same end of the car) along with inspection and possible replacement of the mounts. Of course, if the fronts have gone bad, the rears will follow and at a far shorter interval than when new, so it's better is to replace all 4 if you can afford it; else, you'll have another rear strut job before the next front strut job. You'll need an alignment after replacing struts. Did the shop inspect all FOUR struts for leaks, damage, or behavior? If they found one, or more, bad struts, did they inspect the rest of the suspension for accelerated wear? Saying your car has 111K doesn't say how the car has been driven or on what type of roads (or lack thereof), how much the car has been bouncing around, if the typical load inside the car is heavy (lots of passengers or cargo), if you've been on repaved roads that could have stone chips flying around to nick the piston, if you're a 400-pounder which unevenly stresses one side of the car's suspension, and so on.

If the struts are getting replaced due to age or wear, you should also get the mounts inspected or replaced. Worn or damaged mounts also cause problems. Because struts are integral to the suspension of the vehicle, you will need to get an alignment after replacing them. If one is going bad, another is also gone bad or going bad, and weak ones can fatigue a new one faster. Did they say WHICH strut is bad? Front ones get more stress than rear ones due to lunge in braking along with that being the end that steers. If you don't trust the opinion of the car shop, why are you going there?

I didn't bother to check your vehicle. Does it have any ride control systems? If so, struts are even more important, and uneven behavior between worn/weak and new struts is going to screw up the ride system.

The problem with relying on the regular driver of a car to feel if the struts are okay is the driver will often become accustomed to the behaviors of a gradually defective strut. You might be used to the sway, bumpiness, drift, or other artifacts of bad struts. Not until the symptoms get severe will you then notice them. After getting new struts, you'll marvel at how much more quick and firm is the handling and smoother the ride.

Is this shop going to replace the pair of struts on the same end with Subaru OEM struts, or cheap generics? I've heard that Subaru struts last longer than average. Considering the cost to replace them, especially if you do all 4, I wouldn't go cheap on the parts. You'd only go with different struts if you were unsatisfied with the original ride, like you'd now prefer a stiffer ride for quicker handling response, less sway if you like to twerk in traffic, you typically carry heavy loads, or you are the heavy load lopsided on one side of the car.

I don't see strut replacement listed in the maintenance schedule for that vehicle. Subaru only recommends inspection at 15K intervals. Because of the many variables involved, suspension parts get replaced when they're worn or break, and that'll be determined by inspection (by a shop, or by you in your experience in ride and handling).

Heard leaking was a sure sign but clipped this from the internet:

Badly cupped tires and/or noticeable tire shaking, wheel shimmy or vibration after hitting a bump

Suspension bottoming on rough roads or when backing out of a driveway.

A bouncy ride.

Body sway or rocking when cornering or ­driving in strong crosswinds.

Nose dive when braking hard.

Fluid leaking from a strut or shock.

I was told now by two mechanics that they were "leaking". My old tires show no sign of cupping. Both had the the car in the air and checked with a flashlight. I did not have any reason to believe that they both were being dishonest.

And the old tires had about 50K miles on them.

Hydraulic fluid on the piston is okay, but "leaking" usually means there is a trail of fluid (which has gotten dirty from road grime) along the tube, and that means the struts are defective. Less fluid means less control of the bumps, even the tiny ones you sense as road noise. All it takes is a flashlight to see there are leak trails along the tubes of the struts.

Start saving up money to replace a pair of struts at the same end (they get replaced in pairs) along with an alignment. I suspect they leaky ones are the fronts since those take the most abuse. While I found cheaper struts at online auto parts stores, they're brands I've not heard of or suspect aren't as durable. I've heard of Monroe, but don't remember which brand went into a Mustang I had before (the only car I've owned that needed struts, and boy did it bounce). Subaru struts have a reputation of lasting longer. You could ask the shop which brand they suggest, but they might have their own skew based on who is their supplier, while you should be skewed to the Subaru brand (i.e., it's Subaur or BETTER). Subaru's brand might just be re-branded KYBs. If you demand the shop use Subaru parts, you might have to wait longer for the parts order through Subaru. My shops don't ask me to prepay for ordered parts while waiting for them, but I don't know about your shops. Some Subaru genuine prices are at:

(didn't know exactly what you have)

A pair would cost around $400 just for the left and right front struts. Add in the mounts and other miscellaneous parts, and add in the labor, and you're looking at around $800 per pair. If this was happening to me, I'd be saving up to replace all 4 (both pairs), and get them all done at the same time. Then I don't end up paying twice for an alignment. If the leak trail isn't too dirty yet, and you've experienced none of the other symptoms that I mentioned before, you have some time before they get bad enough to cause tire or suspension damage.

Did the shops quote a price on replacing a pair or for all 4 struts, and without and with having to replace the mounts? For the alignment, they should have a schedule of standard costs to quote for you vehicle (probably about $140). Now might also be a good time to decide if you want the stock handling and ride, or if you might want softer or firmer struts, and perhaps a combo that use a varying piston diameter, if available for you vehicle.

I am going in next Wednesday to get them fixed.

Interesting trivia.

A strut is a shock absorber with a spring around it.

And the shock is not actually a stock absorber. It is a shock transmitter.

The resistance to movement is proportional to the square of the velocity of movement. Technically, they are actually "viscous dampers" and why they are called "dampers" in Europe.

-T

Got the whole nine yards done for 1,306.69 U$D at Les Schwab. And it came with a lifetime warranty. (They are going to regret taking Subi owners as customers!)

Mentioned before I get a kick out of the Scotty Kilmer video's explaining stuff like this:

He has several others on struts and I recall seeing one on complete replacement of shocks saving old springs but needing to use a spring compressor.